The Raptors have had mixed results against Western Conference foes so far this season.

While on a six-game West Coast road trip at the end of October, Toronto went 3-3 - fallowing narrowly to the Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs. On Tuesday night, the Raptors will have another shot to knock off one of the league's best when it takes on the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets are currently riding a six-game winning streak, and are currently in first place in the West - having already recorded wins against the Warriors and Cavaliers.

The Rockets are also known as one of the faster teams in the NBA. They've only not broken 100 points just once so far this season, and have scored 111 points or more in their last five games. Against the Jazz on Nov. 5, they put up 137 points.

Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry said they can't try to keep up and match the Rockets speed, but instead try to slow it down at times.

"You have to have a good balance of slowing it down sometimes and making sure that you don't get caught up in their pace, because their pace is ridiculous," Lowry said.

It's the Rockets success from three-point range that makes them such a dangerous team. So far in November, Houston has averaged nearly 39 percent from behind the arc. Golden State - who currently leads the NBA in three-point shooting percentage - is averaging just more than 41 percent.

Not only is their shooting percentage high, but the Rockets are constantly taking three-point shots. So far this season, they've attempted 628 three-point shots - 168 more than any other team in the league.

Defending that, coach Dwane Casey, can be a grind.

"The key is you have to commit to it," Casey said. "You have to understand they're going to shoot 44 of them a game. They're going to miss, they're going to shoot 34 percent. You have to understand, your job, your task is to get out and challenge every and every one of them as hard as you can. Vault up, try to contest it.

"What happens is they hit a couple and people lose their will, their resolve to keep playing hard. … You have to commit to it, and it's hard."

Lowry, though, said that doesn't mean they are going to up their game from three-point land.

In order to knock off the best team in the West, they're going to have to stop them - not match them.

"I think it more puts the pressure on the defense to make them take tough shots and stay in front of them," Lowry said. "But the offense is very important because you have to get good shots, take good shots, can't turn the ball over. But I think the pressure is always going to be on the defensive end."

Norman Powell injury update

Norman Powell left the Raptors game against the Celtics on Monday in the first quarter with a right-hip injury, and was seen using crutches.

While his status has been questionable since the injury, Casey said he doesn't expect Powell to be ready to go on Tuesday in Houston.

Powell said that he doesn't expect to miss too much time, though with the Raptors taking on New Orleans on Wednesday in the second game of their back-to-back, it's not unlikely that he'll have to sit that one out too.